For Sophie

Sophie's post was the push (and guilty reminder) that I needed to find this blog again. Guys, that is a literal statement. I couldn't even remember how to create a post, or what my blog even looked like!
So here goes...

11 things about me:
1. I love the Beatles. They are easily the most listened to musical group throughout my whole life.
2. I always try to guess what shampoo, laundry detergent, or Bath and Body scent people are wearing.
3. I have this secret dream to be come one of those hipster travelers that live in their Chacos, and wonder the world.
4. Perhaps my greatest passion in life is learning about the cultures and peoples of the world.
5. Amazing Grace has been, and forever will be my hands down favorite movie.
6. If I went to Hogwarts my favorite class would be potions.
7. It takes me a considerable amount of time to forgive people that wake me up. And one of my greatest pet peeves is when someone wakes you up and then WAITS for you to get out of bed. NO.
8. My greatest fear is that people are disappointed in me.
9. Mr. Shelton changed my life (if you haven't already heard 1 million times.)
10. I think that talking in the car is the best place to talk.
11. Nauvoo is my greatest unfulfilled dream.

1. Who's the most attractive animated character? Well first off I'm going to say Howl

But I have always thought Megamind was strangely attractive....

2. Would you rather live in a small house in the country or a big house in the city? The country PLEASE! I have always dreamed of living in a little cottage like Beatrix Potter.

3. What's next on your reading list?  Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas 

4. How often do you strike up a conversation with a stranger? Maybe once a week. 

5. What villain do you relate the most to? The Phantom :)

6. Who are your top three favorite composers? Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Puccini, Brahms 

7. How do you de-stress? Practicing. Also taking a shower or a bath. 

8. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Oregon Hazelnut and Salted camel. Tillamook stole my heart a long time ago. 

9. What time do you prefer to wake up in the morning? 9:30 is a good time to start the day if I want to avoid becoming a dragon, but my mind feels sharper if I wake up at 6:00 and exercise or just have extra time to wake up. 

10. What colors would you want to have at your wedding? Probably gold or silver and then just lots of pumpkins as decorations!

11. How often do you commit to blogging this year? :) Oh man. Is this supposed to be an accurate guess or wishful thinking? The most I feel comfortable committing to is once a month....who knows the blogger buried inside of me may just be reborn. 

Characterizations

I think what makes movies enjoyable is seeing yourself or the people you know in the characters of the story. As I got started compiling this I realized there was a lot of material that I haven't used, but all the more reason to just do this again sometime!

Well it goes without saying. 

OBVIOUSLY Sophie! 

The incredibly powerful Ice Queen who is also an awesome older sister. Not to mention very awesome hair. It can only be one person; Aileen

And to follow It would only make sense that I would follow as her younger sister who gets engaged to a man on the same day the meet, as well as almost get married by a troll colony....

Lucy, saying "AAAAARRRRRREEEEE you kidding my face??" 

Lucy again, being the best clam player under the sea! 

Aileen: Older and much wiser older sister, but also the first to recognize a marvelous adventure and good company. 

Sis. Blair and the precious Kristen

Sophie: Singing her guts out because she is a princess and can do that! 

Kristen: Adorable and heart melting. 

Me: in my pre-galbladder stages. 

Me again. I don't know about you, but the last time I saw a blind awesome magic lady that lives in a boat in a tree with many colored glass bottles for decorations, I thought of myself. 

Lucy: Accurate on every account. Spending all her born days at the piano, and continually being courted by the men folk. 

Lucy again: For some reason the way Tiana is committed to her dreams, and how the journey to them makes her even more splendid then she started off as, has always reminded me of the dedication and commitment of our Lucy. 

Kristen: I think Kristen would be someone to believe that there is a world just beyond what we see, and then find it and completely change that world for the better. 

I put this picture on her thinking I definitely had someone in mind....but I don't so if yo have any ideas feel free to share. 

Well....Me again: I adore the mad hatter. I know I am him to a "tea!" Plus who wouldn't want to sit around with their friends all day and drink tea and tinker with gadgets while everyone talks a whole lot of nonsense. 

Lucy: Wise as ever, yet so gentle and loving. 

Sophie: The life of the party, the partner in crime, and someone who could pull of this look with out seeming ridiculous! 

Baby steps back into posting: Semester Quotes

Contrary to popular belief, I am in fact alive. However, I would look out your windows, because there may in fact be herds of pigs taking flight.

To prove that I have human interaction here are some of my favorite quotes from the semester.

Jane: " I wish I had a convenient French Revolution to go to when I have guy problems."

Scott: "How do we play faster as an ensemble?"
DeAunn: "Space......the final frontier."

Larry: "It always gets quiet when you're talking about fat presidents."

Amberley: (looking at a picture) "It looks like you have a mole on your forehead." (looking at me) "oh...you do."

Igor (theory teacher): "A heart can not be broken with major chords."

Maren: (at homegoods): "I just can't take my eyes off of this frame!"
Amberley: "I hope a man says that about me some day."


Amberley: "I couldn't put my shirt on because I had a face mask on."

Maren(after spilling hot chocolate): "I'm just a messy pants today....Not literally."

Cami: "Just be nonchalant. Like so nonchalant it's like you're waking up from a coma every time you text....like you usually are."

Amberley: "Maren like CLEANS her room. She starts and like half an hour later it's ready for the Dai Lama to come over."

Dad: "We are having turkey tomorrow."
Roland: "Well we'll waddle over."

Roland: "I just don't like bird meat."

Blythe: "It was a big deal for im since he is a physics hermit."

Blythe: "We just thought it was silent until we listened with our ear trumpets and realized there were soloists."

Brother Bailey: (after eating a jalapeno burger)"Isn't that nice? You bite it, it bites back!"


We may all be withered and grey by the next time this blog is active so until then merry christmas to all and to all a good night!

Turning out the light; memories of birthday eves

Ever since I can remember the night before my birthday has never been a very restful night. When I was younger I used to lay in my bed while visions of my future gifts danced in my head like the Who's Christmas sugar plums. 

(I will admit that I have been known to get very into the whole "celebrating me" day idea.)

However, I always waited for my mom to come and turn off the hall light. As she did this task she would lean her head in and say, "It's your last day of being 8!" or whatever the age may be. 

Tonight I am sitting in my apartment, and visions are certainly dancing in my head but they are images of her. I am remembering how I would listen to my mom getting everything settled down before bed and wait excitedly for her to come say something to me. 

Tonight I am remembering how every year I could anticipate receiving a handcrafted, almost magical card from Aileen. I am remembering how Aileen would always ask my mom if Roland could take my bed by the window. Her argument always was if a giant wolf jumped through the window I would sleep through it. I am remembering our late night dance parties in our room that almost always got crashed by mom. I remember when we first had Polly and Nelly and how we would snuggle them (with plenty of towel protection) against our necks while mom read to us. I am remembering also when you decided to have your own room, and how I cried myself to sleep in mom's room for weeks after because I couldn't get used to not having you close. 

Tonight I am remembering how Kristen has always been my birthday party tea companion of choice. I don't remember how many times we had private birthday teas. I wouldn't have it any other way :). I'm remembering how we used to love when the crossing guard would ask if we were twins. I remember how we picked out our special tree, but only went there once. Also how we spent a week collecting snails in third grade only to find out to our horror that snails can change their genders. We released them immediately. I am remembering how while you were in Vienna I started washing my face more than once a day because it reminded me of you for some reason. 

Tonight I am remembering how I LOVE the month of April. How my dad would take me outside so we could look for the first crocus of year. I'm remembering how I got grounded because I wouldn't help do the dishes because, "I needed to finish calculating the days until my birthday.":)

I'm remembering my 16th birthday and my first date with Joe. 

I'm remembering how Pizza and cheesecake have been my birthday meal for ages. 

But most of all, tonight I am flooded with all the little moments of my life that have been stitched together with the lives of you whom I love the most. Tonight I feel farther away from everyone that I love. 

So I wish to say I'm glad that I have a chance to remember and celebrate the day that I got to join you all here.  

P.S. The picture above was on my google search and when I put the curser above it it said, "Happy Birthday Maren!" I will say I didn't think my internet search engine would be so thoughtful! 

Self Moving Portrait

This is me every morning.

Except I don't sleep with a gun under my pillow.

Senses

When I hear this,

I see this.

Baby steps back into posting.

It's that time of the year again where a breath of fresh posting is breathed into my blog. Sophie has suggested many times that I have a funeral for my blog and put the poor useless thing to rest. So here's to rebirth I guess.

I have had a few things on my mind lately. I find myself on the brink of a world ahead. I seem to be still on the intake of breath beforeI continue the next phrase of my life.

I feel like there are little spaces in-betweenthe colorful and eloquent experiences of our lives, and maybe like the spaces between words, those blank spots add individuality, and focus to the words ahead. Needless to say that in many ways right now I feel like I am in a blank space, savoring the many words that came before and providing preparation for those to come. So in this space-like time I have a few things to say.

I adore this lady. What a blessing she is to this world, and I miss her tremendously. As you all know she is traveling and studying in a far distant land, but I couldn't be happier. Aileen has a very pure and decreeing mind that will teach truth to the world all her days. I just thought that she needed some space in this post. :)

Lately I find myself pondering the future and being excited for all that is ahead. But every time I wonder into these thoughts I am bothered by myself. The more I learn, the more I see how life is a time to teach us that we are objects that bring heaven a little closer, and I want to be only that in all I do. But sometimes I slip into the name making and recognition that make me self oriented.

With that tumbling about in my head a few other thoughts joined the mix.

You can't help but be drawn here.

The other day in the Provo temple, I had a moment of realization. Firstly, Wednesday at 12:00pm is the time to go. The workers are delightfully humors! I was sitting in a room with some of the elderly gentleman, and chuckling softly to myself as they wentabout being their hist selves. Another sister in the room was by way of her conversation clearly a regular visitor on that day and hour. She took a minute to tell the her white haired friends about her mission call that was waiting for her when she returned home. They were all totally thrilled to hear the news and enjoyed the conversation.

I stood up for my turn, and they asked me, "What about you? When are you going on a mission?" I smiled, and then sort of blurted out, "I may have theopportunity next summer to go to Nauvoo as a missionary." I didn't know I was thinking that seriously about the idea of being a summer service missionary, but the idea grows on me more and more. Despite what happens, I was grateful for the comfort those words gave me that day in the temple.

Here's to summer and the new ideas and feelings it brings!